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" 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. T. F. FRANK.

Carbureter. I No. 83,147. Patented 0m. 20,1868.

Witnesses s." I f v X fW -PEIEHS. PNOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, D C K 2 SheetsSheet 2.

T. F. FRANK.

Carbureten Patented OCLQO, 1868.

I'wvewtor:

Witnesses:

-FETERS, PHOTO-IJTHOGRAPNER, WASHINGTON, 0 c

' elevated tube, that prevents subside below the mouth of e,

K W the THEODORE r. FRANK, or BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

Letters Patent No. 83,147, dated October 20, 1868.

INIPROZQD MACHINE FOR CARBURETTING- AIR.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent aha making part of the same' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Tnnononn F. FRANK, of the city of Bufi'alo, in the countyof Erie, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improve i the figures.

The invention consists- First, in arranging the carbwetting-chamber, regulatingcon1partment, and the water-tank, in which the air-drum revolves, respectively, one above. the other, in a singlerupright cylinder, which is supported within a frame provided with 'an elevated cross-piece, from which are suspended the two weights that operate the drum, by which arrangement great compactness and cheapness in construction, and steadiness and uniformity in the action of the machine, are attained Second, in constructing the regulating water-vessel, which neutralizes the pulsations ofthe gas, with an it from overflowing, and which also operates to regulate the action of the machine, and prevents the escape of the gas when the machine is at rest, all-as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings, A A represent four. standards of the frame, and B the extended cross-piece at the top of A A, to which the weight-supporting tackle is attached. C C aretwocast-iron rings, formed with ears, 0 0, through which are inserted the standards A A, formed with suitable shoulders for supporting them. D is the carburetting-vessel, arranged within and supported by the ring A. The gasoline or other fluid is supplied to the carhufrom an air-tight-reservoir, E, throughi letting-vessel, a pipe, e, provided with suitable stop-cocks and coupling, by which the gasoline-vessel may be detached and filled, as required.

The reservoir E being air-tight, it is evident that the gasoline will, on the stop-cocks in pipe 0 being opened,

fill in the carburetting-vessel till the liquid reaches the top of the pipe, so as to closeits'mouth, when the flow will cease.

As the liquid is vaporized in the carbmetter, it will when the air, entering the gasoline-vessel through the pipe, will cause the fluid to flow till the pipe is closed again, thus automatically maintaining a uniformsupply of the'gasoline or other liquid in the carburetting-vessel at all times. In the upper portion of the carburetting-vessel-is a floor or diaphragm, F, forming a water-tight compartment, G, above. Within this vessel,-in an inverted position, is a vessel, G. i From the top of G, a pipe, h, extends upwards to the top of the machine. H represents the air-drum, rotating in a vessel, 1, arranged at the topof the machine, immediately above the compartment" G. This drum revolves on ahoriz'ont'al shaft, moimted preferably'in pendent brackets from the upper ring, 0'. It consists of two heads, closed, except an opening at the centre, for the passage of the water, between which are secured wings, i i, of involute curvature, dividing the drum into buckets or compartments, J J These wings commence at about-the relative distance shown from the centre, and terminate at the pe1iphery,'so as -to leave openings, j and j, at the centre and outside. formed that their edges-at the centre and outside run s irally around the drum, as clearly shown in Fig. III.

This last feature of construction causes themouths of the buckets to gradually dip and emerge from the so that the influx and efllux of the fluids will water to prevent a certain irregularity of be gradual, so as movement in the actions of the drum, which ensues:

when the'entire mouths of the buckets are submerged or emerge at the same instant.

A bent pipe, I, conducts the air from the top of the central space" of the drum to the bottom of the carbu-' letting-vessel, in a' manner similar to the corresponding pipe in gas-meters. The lower end of this pipe terminates in a piperi ng, l, provided with minute. perfora tions inthe under side, for the escape of the air into the gasoline, into which the lower portion of the ring I just dips.

The end of thegasoline pipe e and the ring I are protected, by a perforated shield, 70, from the fibrous Y or other material which is filled in the vessel above. Two of the standards, A A, extend'above therest of the machine, v d are connected, at their upper ends, by an extended cross-piece, B, to the ends of which are attached'tackle blocks, b b. .3

.A weight, W, is suspended from each of the lower sheaves, b b, from whence the ropes wind around a horizontal gear-shaft, L, the necessary intermediate gear, m 'm, meshing with pinion n on the end of the drum-shaft. v

Water is filled in the upper vessel, and maintained at an unvarying height, by means of an air-tight reservoir, M, communicating with vessel'l by means of a pipe, 1, and which operates automatically, in a similar manner to that of the gasoline-vessel before described.

The water in the vessel 1 should be of such a height that the air, when subjected to the required pressure, will depress the water within the central space of the drum to a point a little below the mouth of the airpipe-about as represented'in'the drawings.

Water is filled into the regplating-chamb'er G, so that, when the machine is operating, and the gas press- The wings are so" j as the machine revolves, the air is forced or escapes through the inner openings, j, as they emerge from the water into the central space of the drum. It then e11- ters the pipe I, which conducts it to the bottom of the carburetting-vessel, when, escaping through the minute perforations in the ring I, it is difl'used and charged withthe volatile hy(h'ocarbon-elements of the gasoline.

After passing through the fibrous or other packingmat-erial in the vessel 1), it ascends, through the pipe q, above the water in the regulating-vessel G. It here presses upon the surface of the water around G, causing the liquid to rise to a' greater or less height in the latter vessel, accordingto the degree of pressure.

The air, in passing through the drum, acquires, to a certain extent, a sort of pulsating or irregular movement, which it is essential to neutralize beforeit passes to the burners, otherwise a flickering and unsteady light will be the result. This is accomplished by the vessels G G, the great mobility of the water permitting it to yield in the vessel G, and rise and subside in G, according to the varying impulse of the gas, so that it flows to the Dinners, through the pipe s, with an equalized and unvarying pressure.

The size of the weights should be so adjusted as to be only adequate to cause. the drum to operate, to force the air with the required pressure, when it is ext dent that the machine will stop working as soon as the resistance or pressure of the gas exceeds that limit, and recommence operating when 'the pressure is again reduced to the required degree.

Its operation is thus automatically regulated by the pressure of the gas, or the amount consumed,'the drum I moving faster or slower, according to the escape, or number of burners in use, the machine stopping when all the burners are shut off, and again starting when one or more are lighted.

When the machine is at rest, and. especially in warm weather, a certain amount of gas will be evolved, which might press with suflicicnt force on the'water in G to depress it to the passages communicating into G, when the gas would rise through the latter, and escape into the apartment. To prevent this occurring, led to the employment of the elevated tube h. With this improvement, the water, as soon as the vessel G is filled, will be forced up in this tube, the capacity of which is comparatively so small that the water in G cannot be impracticable or inconvenient but slightly depressed without causing a considerable rise in the tube, the pressure arising from which, according to the well-known law of hydrostatic pressure, will confine and compress the gas suiiiciently to prevent its further evolution.

No danger can result from this confinement, for, should the pressure he sufficientythe water wohld be forced to the top of the tube, and overflow into the vessel 1, when the gas would finally escape through the same pipe, and thus prevent the possibility of the bursting of the machine.

The arrangement of the pipe h not only performs the function before described, but also serves as a means through which water may be introduced into the regulating-cmnpartment.

The general airangen'ient of my machine is such as to require for its location the least possible floor-space, which removes it from the great objections raised against other machines by parties who have only a limited space in which to locate the apparatus.

The arrangement of the carburetting-vessel, regulating-chamber, and water-tank, as described, enables them to be contained in a single cylindrical vessel, and consequently be manufactured at a greatly-reduced cost over that required when they are made separate.

here is an equal saving in the manner of supporting the parts within the frame A A. The air-drum is readily supported in pendent'bearings from the upper ring, 0, while its elevation is such that, with the crosspiece 13 of the frame, the operating-weights can be suspended from the latter without the necessity of suspending them from ceiling, which it is sometimes q to do. This construction also renders the machine more portable, as it is complete in itself, and can, therefore, be placed in the most convenient locality. The weights, being supported from the cross-piece of the frame at both ends,

balance the shaft, and diminish the friction thereof, while their gravity, added to that of the apparatus, renders it more, stable, and, consequently, the action of the same more uniform.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. An upright cylindrical vessel, forming the carburetting-chamber D, regulating-compartment G; and wateistank I, containing the air-drum H, arranged respectively one above the other, and with the supporting-frame A A B, and operating-weights W W, sub stantially inthe manner and for the purpose set forth.

2. I The combination and arrangement of the elevated pipe 71. with the regulating-vessel G G, substantially as and for the piu'pose specified.

'1. F. FRANK-i Witnesses:

JAY HYATT, EDWARD WILHELM. 

